Non-profit Agencies Told Unity Is Key To Survive Budget Cuts

April 07, 1986|The Morning Call

Agencies must come together in coalitions to achieve goals in the face of federal budget cuts, John Lapidakis, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Association for Retarded Citizens, told a workshop of representatives from non-profit agencies on Friday.

The workshop, sponsored by the United Way in Lehigh County, United Way of Northampton and Warren Counties and the Lehigh Valley Advisory Council, was the last in a series of three programs at Northampton County Area Community College to help non-profit organizations cope with federal funding cuts and understand ways of effective operation.

Participants indicated that agencies in the area are experiencing a 4.3 percent shortfall as a result of the federal Gramm-Rudman balanced-budget act, but additional cuts that cannot now be predicted will be made in October.

Workshop Chairman Ann Terries said the workshop was to help non-profit agencies understand the reality of funding cuts and limitations of advocacy on their their behalf.

Lapidakis stressed that agencies need to drop their competitive attitude to fill in the funding gap. It is the "only solution to survival," he said.

Barbara Fraust, a board member of the United Way of Northampton and Warren Counties, urged members of boards of directors to become more involved and knowledgeable of the political and management structures of the non-profit groups. She, too, urged the agencies to "stick together" on whatever the issue might be. "When the issue is resolved, we can split and go our own way," she said.

The Rev. Paul Gehris of Harrisburg, director of the office of social ministry of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, said government isat its best when it is taking care of those who are at their worst. He commended the United Way movement locally and statewide for its approach toward and handling of legislative matters and for working together and sharing resources for the common good.

Doug Perkins, director of the United Way in Lehigh County, said all agencies getting government funding or not should take up a government relations position. Cuts to one agency affect the others, he said.

Rob Fulton, director of the department of human services in Lehigh County, outlined the Gramm-Rudman legislation and presented a series of Lehigh County figures which included reductions in funding for day care, aging, children and youth services and adults services.

He commended the counties and United Ways for working together and for integrating funding resources to meet agency needs.